Gout

What is Gout? Gout is a recurrent acute, painful inflammatory disease that affects the person’s joints, especially in the big toes. It is a metabolic disorder resulting from the accumulation of uric acid in the blood and other body fluids. The uric acid forms crystals in the joints, which trigger an acute inflammatory response. It can also develop into a chronic or recurring condition.

Signs and Symptoms Severe, throbbing, excruciating pain in a joint, particularly in the big toe (50% of cases), ankle or knee. The affected joint is inflamed – red, swollen, hot and very tender to the touch. Flu-like symptoms may appear, such as muscle aches and fever; hard nodules form on the joint surface; and physical movement is painful and difficult. Gout can also affect the ankles, knees, wrists, tendons and surrounding tissues.

Complications Untreated gout may cause urate crystals nodules (tophi) to form under the skin. Tophi can develop in several areas such as the fingers, hands, feet, elbows or Achilles tendons along the back of the ankle. Tophi themselves are not usually painful, but they can become swollen and tender during gout attacks. Another complication that may occur is the development of kidney stones due to urate crystals forming in the urinary tract.

What Causes Gout? Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in joints, causing the inflammation and intense pain typical of a gout attack. The uric acid is a normal waste product of the body’s metabolism, but is not excreted properly in gout. Gout often results from long-term consumption of rich, high-protein food, especially cold and dry foods like beef. Other risk factors include: side effects of certain medications such as diuretics, and a genetic or temperamental predisposition.

The Tibb View of Gout According to Tibb, gout is linked to coldness with dryness. It develops in the peripheral areas of the body which do not receive as much heat as the core organs and tissues. Physis is unable to regulate the high uric acid levels circulating in the blood, resulting in these crystals depositing and “freezing” in the joint spaces. The body’s reaction to this is the origin of the signs and symptoms of gout. Although individuals with a melancholic dominant/sub-dominant temperament are predisposed to gout, people with dominant/sub-dominant sanguinous temperaments are also at risk. This is the result of the oxidation of the sanguinous humour into abnormal melancholic humour.

Management of Gout Treatment and management is aimed at reducing the excess coldness with dryness associated with gout, by implementing Lifestyle Factors that will increase the qualities of heat with moistness. This assists Physis in addressing both the symptoms and causes of gout.

Tibb Lifestyle FactorsFood and Drink- Ideally eat only fruit and vegetables (juiced), and avoid nuts, eggs, meats and fried foods for several

days during an acute attack;- Eat mostly Hot & Moist foods - such as spinach, dates, mango, and turmeric, followed by

Hot & Dry foods - like oily celery, green or red peppers, avocados and parsley.- Eat less of Cold & Moist foods - such as milk, pineapples, and broccoli, and the least amount of

Cold & Dry foods - like beef, tomatoes, sour milk, and beans.- Cut down on tea and coffee, and restrict alcohol consumption, especially beer.- Do not eat purine-rich foods, which include brains, herring, anchovies, liver, kidneys, sardines and

pilchards.- Drink at least three litres of warm water daily to dissolve and flush out uric acid deposits.- Drink caffeine-free herbal teas to increase fluid intake; peppermint, rose hip and yarrow, for

example.- Avoid frequent sugary soft drinks, as they contain much fructose, which can increases recurrence.- Avoid eating protein-rich foods- A light fast for a couple of days is often beneficial.

Other Lifestyle AdviceTry steam bathing or sauna (for short sessions) daily. Heat helps to soften the uric acid crystals.

Herbal Remedy- Infuse in 1 cup of boiling water with ½ tsp cinnamon powder, ½ tsp fenugreek powder, and a ¼ tsp

celery seeds powder. Add honey to taste.